Truth For Life Blog

JAMES 5:14–15“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.”

Topics: Articles

Though 1 Corinthians 13 is largely regarded as a cozy part of the Bible, a closer look reveals that it is actually deeply challenging. These “feel-good” verses confront us, humble us, and begin to show us that the things we think matter most are not what matter most to God.

The church in Corinth faced circumstances from within that threatened its existence. So, in 1 Corinthians 13, Paul showed the church “a still more excellent way” (1 Cor. 12:31)—that is, the way of agapē, the kind of love that is rooted in the very character of God and revealed in the life of Jesus Christ. Paul needed to help the Corinthians understand that it is only by growing in Christlike love that we can grow in our Christian maturity and effectively handle such difficult situations.

Topics: Articles

I often say my prayers,
But do I ever pray?
And do the wishes of my heart
Go with the words I say?

Topics: Hymns and Worship

“The Lord Jesus comes and, in His pursuing love and wonderful amazing grace, gathers us to Himself.”
—Alistair Begg

Topics: Weekly Wallpaper

Many have described Christ’s words in Mark 9:49–50 as being among the New Testament’s most challenging passages. They read,

Everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.

Topics: Articles

James 1:22–25 “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”

Commentary from the sermon “Don't Kid Yourselves” by Alistair Begg:

Topics: Articles

Commentary from the sermon “Why Bother with the Bible? — Part One” by Alistair Begg:

Topics: Articles

“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High … and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
Luke 1:32-33

Topics: Weekly Wallpaper

First Corinthians 13 is largely regarded as a cozy part of the Bible. It’s prone to be read at weddings; it shows up on stationery, keychains, and home decor; and its detractors are few, even in secular society. This is hardly a surprise, since it is poetic, it is beautiful, and it meditates on a word that nearly anyone can get behind: love.

Topics: Articles

Topics: Hymns and Worship

Topics: Hymns and Worship

“Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!”
Psalm 106:1

Topics: Weekly Wallpaper

Topics: Hymns and Worship

At the beginning of Acts 3, at the gate of the Jerusalem temple, the apostles Peter and John encounter a disabled man who thinks he needs one thing: money. If he doesn’t have any money, he thinks, he can’t eat—and if he can’t eat, then he’ll be dead. So he needs money.

Topics: Articles

I journey forth rejoicing
From this dark vale of tears;
To heav’nly joy and freedom,
From earthly bonds and fears;
Where Christ, our Lord, shall gather
All his redeemed again,
His kingdom to inherit,
Good night, till then!

Topics: Hymns and Worship

“I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart;
I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
I will be glad and exult in you;
I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.”
Psalm 9:1–2

Topics: Weekly Wallpaper

I was sinking deep in sin,
Far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within,
Sinking to rise no more;
But the Master of the sea
Heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me—
Now safe am I.

Topics: Hymns and Worship

First Samuel 5is a difficult chapter—a crystal-clear example of divine judgment and intervention. When we study it and consider the heavy hand of God, we have to remember that we’re dealing with events that happened a long time ago, around 1100 BC, and with what’s clearly an unrepeatable incident. It’s important that we approach passages like this one in light of the rest of the Bible. Scripture interprets Scripture in such a way that where one passage may not be as accessible as another, other portions enable us to approach those difficult texts properly.

Topics: Articles

For all the challenges we face in life, nothing is more difficult than losing someone we love. And when the loss is unexpected or tragic, our faith can surely be put to the test. In Seasons of Sorrow: The Pain of Loss and the Comfort of God, pastor and Christian blogger Tim Challies tells a story of unthinkable loss— the sudden death of his twenty-year-old son—and how he kept the Gospel in view as he grieved.  

Topics: Monthly Resources

There is an old adage that goes, “People buy things they don’t need with money they don’t have to impress people they don’t like.” That is a sadly accurate summary of how the world tends to look at money. As Christians, however, we recognize that our money has a higher purpose.

Topics: Articles

Dear Friend,

As I drove to my study last week, a thought popped into my head. You will not be surprised when I tell you that it was a line from one of William Cowper’s lesser-known hymns: “Sometimes a light surprises the Christian while he sings.” I wonder, do you find that happening from time to time when you are part of a worshiping congregation? Familiar words suddenly are suffused with heavenly light, as if Jesus the worship leader drew near to say, “These words are most wonderfully true and relevant to you.” I cherish such moments when we get a tiny glimpse of what it will be to join with that great multitude in declaring, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Topics: Letters From Alistair Begg